In an international competition, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has been selected to design the Hetao North District N-05 Parcel, completing the first phase of the Shenzhen–Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Park. Located along the Shenzhen River at the boundary between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, the project forms part of a major cross-border initiative aimed at creating a globally significant hub for research and development.
The commission marks SOM’s second project on the Shenzhen-side campus, following its earlier win for Parcel N-02. In addition to designing both parcels, SOM serves as master architect for the entire campus, guiding long-term spatial and architectural coherence across the district.
Titled The Beacon of the Valley (翠谷航标), the project is conceived as a prominent gateway and capstone for the Shenzhen side of the master plan, directly facing the Hong Kong–Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park across the river.
Designed as a next-generation research and development campus for biomedicine and interdisciplinary sciences, the project proposes a new model for high-density laboratory environments. The master plan emphasizes connections between research, landscape, and urban context through arrival gardens, tree-filled courtyards, and collaboration spaces oriented toward the Shenzhen River and surrounding mountains. Shaded terraces extend activity beyond the laboratory, supporting interaction and well-being in the region’s challenging climate.
The facility is structured around a modular planning framework to ensure long-term flexibility and resilience as technologies and market demands evolve. According to SOM, the design integrates high-performance laboratory planning with efficient process flows, allowing the campus to adapt over time.
As a key component and ambitious innovation district, the N-05 Parcel illustrates how dense, vertically organized research environments can balance performance, adaptability, and human-centered design within rapidly urbanizing regions.
Read more at SOM.